Folding seat



(No Model.) A

M. H. 8v W. J. HANSEN.

FOLDING SEAT. No. 475,310. Patented May 24, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.w

MARI-US H. HANSEN AND WILLIAM J. HANSEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING SEAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,310, dated May 24, 1892. Application filed August 20, 1891. Serial No. 403,191. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MARIUS H. HANSEN and WILLIAM J. HANSEN, citizens of Denmark, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Seats, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide a seat that has no legs, but can be readily attached to the trunk of a tree, a post,wall, or other suitable support, and that can be folded up into a very small compass for con- Venience in carrying it from place to place, thus making it a very desirable article for use on picnics, camping expeditions, &c.

To this end the invention consists in certain features of novelty that are particularly pointed out in the claims hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved seat secured to the trunk of a tree in position for use. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, on aslightly larger scale, with the seat proper broken away in order to more clearly show the frame. Fig. 3 is an under side view, on a still larger scale, of the frame folded up, only a fragment of the seat proper being shown and some of the other parts being omitted altogether. Fig. 4 is a transverse section, on a still larger scale, of the seat'folded up in position for being carried. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation, on the same. scale as Fig. 3, of fragments of some of the parts, showing details of construction hereinafter more particularly described.

A represents a piece of canvas, leather, or other suitable material of sufficient width and length to form the seat proper and b ack of the improved seat. One end of this piece of canvas is secured to a part B,which will hereinafter be called the back stretcher, and the other end is secured to a similar piece C, called the front stretcher.

D Dare a pair of hangers, each extending from one end of the back stretcher to the corresponding end of the front stretcher, and E is a prop extending from the front stretcher to the tree or other support. These are the principal elements of the improved seat; b ut we desire to have it understood that our invention is not necessarily limited to the details of their construction, as we believe ourselves to be the iirst to use a like arrangement of parts of whatever form.

Practical tests have demonstrated the fact that the seat gives entire satisfaction if the parts are constructed' in detail, as shown by the drawings and now to be described.

The back stretcher consists of a piece of sheet metal of the requisite length,width, and thickness bent longitudinally into a section of a tube with a view to giving it strength and affording a broad surface, free from angles and sharp edges, for the canvas to bear upon. The canvas is secured to it by placing the edges of the strip and canvas together and then bending the edge of the strip over onto itself once or twice, as clearly shown by Fig. l.,wrapping the canvas up with it. When the seam thus formed is pressed tight, it not only holds the edge of the canvas with great force, but it also forms at o a smooth rounded surface for the canvas to bear upon. In order to secure the back stretcher to its support, it is perforated for the passage of the shanks of screw-eyes F, which are held in place by nuts f, screwed onto them and bearing against the concave side of the stretcher. These eyes are situated equidistant from the center, and to each of them is loosely connected one end of a link G, the other end of which is pro vided with a ring g. Through these rings may be passed a rope H, which if carried once or twice around the tree and tied will afford ample support, or instead of the rope the rings g may be slipped onto pins or hooks, or the links may be dispensed with and the rope carried directly through the eyes F, or hooks may be substituted for the links. In fact any suitable or convenientv means for supporting the stretcher B or the back of the seat may be used. Where it is not desired to have the seat portable, the back stretcher B may be dispensed with entirely andthe rear end of the seat proper attached directly to the wall or other support, making a seat that can be folded up out of the way.

The hangers D are preferably formed of slender rods of metal, but may be formed of chains, cords, or other devices, so as to be flexible. As shown in the drawings, each of them is formed at one end with a hook d for engaging a screw-eye'b or othersuitable device secured to the stretcherB near one end, while the other end of said hanger is loosely connected to the corresponding end of the stretcher C by means of a screw-eye c. The stretcher C is similar in construction to the stretcher B; but the former is somewhat larger than the latter. In each end of the stretcher C a metal block I is secured by screws t', and to these blocks are secured, respectively, a handle J and an extension K, having a ferrule 7c, so that when the device is rolled up, as shown by Fig. 4, it may be carried as a walking-stick. These blocks serve, also, as anchors for the screw-eyes c and as means for the attachment of the prop E,which latter may be of any desired construction. The one shown in the drawings consists of two similar fiat strips of metal c, each of which is pivoted at one end between a pair of ears i', that are integral with one of the blocks I, both the ears and the strip being perforated for the passage of the pivothpin. The strips are a trifle less in length than the concavity of the stretcher C, so that they may be folded up inside of it, as shown by Figs. 3 and 4. Stop-lugs t2 are also formed on the blocks I opposite the strips e for limiting their unfolding, said stops being so arranged that the strips must be bent a little in order to bring them to the positions shown by Fig. 2, their elasticity being sufncient to hold the parts locked.

L is a cross-head hinged at one end to one of the strips e and having at its other end a notch l for engaging a pin e', carried by the other of said strips for holding their ends a suitable distance apart. This cross-head is preferably formed of a piece of sheet met-al bent longitudinally to a substantially U- shaped cross-section, so that it can be folded back onto the strip, as shown by Figs. 3 and 4, and indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. This cross-head is `designed to bear against the tree or other support, and in order to prevent it from slipping about it is armed withone or more spurs Z. If desired, the cross-head may be dispensed with, in which case the ends of the strips e should be sharpened or other wise adapted to engage the support.

M is a cord or chain attached at one end to the back stretcher B and at the other to the i cross-head L for automatically bringing the latter to its proper place on the tree.

It will be seen that all of the parts are so secured to the front stretcher that when the seat is adjusted for use the convex side of said stretcher is uppermost, thereby presenting a smooth rounded surface for the legs to rest upon.

When not in use, the cross-head L is folded onto the strip e and the two strips folded up inside of the front stretcher. The hangersl) are folded onto the outside of the stretcher. The links G are folded against the back stretcher. The back stretcher is placed, convex side outward, against the concave side of the front stretcher, and the then doubled can vas is wrapped around the whole and suitably secured, as shown by Fig. 4. If a cover or jacket be then drawn over it, leaving the handle .I and extension K exposed, it will resemble an umbrella. To fold up the seat without detaching it from its support, it is simply necessary to elevate the end of the prop until the stretcher C is permitted to rest against the support.

Having thus described our invention, the y following is what we claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. The combination of the stretcher C, hangers suspending it, a continuous iexible seat and back secured at the front end to the stretcher, means for supporting the rear end thereof, and the prop-strips e e, each having one end hinged to the stretcher, onenear each of its ends, so that when not in use they may be folded up against the stretcher, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the stretcher C, hangers suspending it, a flexible scat secured at its front end tothe stretcher, means for supporting the rear end of the seat, a prop extending from the stretcher to the support, but forming no part of the direct support for the seat, and a chain supporting the free end of said prop, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the stretcher C, hangers suspending it, a seat secured at its front end to the stretcher, means for supporting the rear end of the seat, a prop hinged to the stretcher and extending from the stretcher to the support, but forming no part of the direct support for the seat, and a spur at the engaging end of the prop, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the stretcher C, consisting of a strip of metal curved longitudinally, hangers suspending it, a seat secured at its front end to the stretcher, means for supporting the rear end of the seat, and a prop consisting of the strips e e, hinged to the concave side of the stretcher C and adapted to be folded thereinto, substantially as set fort 1.

5. The combination of the stretcher C, hangers suspending it, a seat secured at its front end to said stretcher, means for supporting the rear end of the seat, and a prop consisting of the strips e e, hinged to the stretcher, and the cross-head L, connecting the ends of said strip, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the stretcher C, hangers suspending it, a seat secured at its front end to said stretcher, means for supporting the rear end of the seat, a prop consisting of strips e e, connected to the stretcher and crosshead L, connecting said strips, and a spur on said cross-head, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of the stretcher C, hangers suspending it, a seat secured atits front end to said stretcher, means for supporting the rear end of the seat, and a prop consisting of strips e c, hinged to the stretcher and the cross-head L, hinged to one of said strips IOS IIO

and detachably engaging the other, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of the stretcher C, hangers suspending it, a seat secured at its front end to said stretcher, means for supporting the rear end of the seat, and a prop consisting of the strips e e, hinged to the stretcher, and the cross-head L, of U -shape cross-section, hinged to one of said strips and having means for detachably engaging the other, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of the stretcher O,formed of a strip of metal curved longitudinally, the blocks I, secured in the ends of said stretcher and having the perforated ears ffl t" the strips e e, hinged between said ears, hangers suspending the stretcher, a seat secured at its front end to said stretcher, and means for supporting the rear end of the seat, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination, with the sheet A, of the front and back stretchers formed of strips of sheet-metal curved longitudinally and having their outer edges doubled over onto themselves, the edges of the sheet being doubled over with the metal and clamped between the folds thereof, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination of the stretcher B, having the eyes b', the stretcher C, hangers D D, secured to the stretcher C, and having hooks d d, engaging the eyes b,the sheet A, secured at its ends to said stretchers, so as to be suspended between and supported wholly by them, and a prop for sustaining the Stretcher C, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination of the stretcher C, consisting of a sheet-metal strip curved longitudinally, the stretcher B, hangers depending from stretcher B and secured to the convex side of the stretcher C, a flexible sheet secured to and suspended between the stretchers, passing over the upper rounded side of stretcher C, and a prop secured to the stretcher C and adapted to engage the support, substantially as set forth.

MARIUS H. HANSEN. WILLIAM J. HANSEN. Witnesses:

L. M. HOPKINS, S. NICOLAIsEN. 

